Top 5 Caribbean Medical Schools to Consider

Maybe you have an adventurous spirit. Perhaps the US medical school application cycle wasn’t that kind. Maybe you live in the Caribbean. Whatever the reason, you have options, and MedCute loves to support #InternationalMedicine! What are the top 5 Caribbean medical schools that you should consider? Read more to find out.

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What’s the Tea?

I have to start with the cold hard facts. It’s always best to study in the country and/or region that you plan to live and practice in. Doing so makes it easier to get into the system, and you won’t have to relearn or unlearn things that are specific to your home country. Not to mention, having to do board and licencing exams for the country that you are returning to can be quite stressful if you’ve studied outside of that country.

That aside, studying abroad, specifically in the Caribbean can be such an AMAZING opportunity not only to follow your dreams, but to explore a new culture, travel, and meet people that you never would have if you stayed home. So what are the top 5 Caribbean medical schools on the list? Let’s see!

Top 5 Caribbean Medical Schools

Not all Caribbean med schools are the same. Let’s differentiate between offshore schools and regional medical schools. An offshore medical school is an institution outside of the United States of America that caters to IMGs- International Medical Graduates, usually from the US or Canada. A regional medical school is a school that is for those who want practice medicine in the country where their school is situated- in this case, Caribbean students wanting to practice in the Caribbean.

The #BIG FOUR

The first 4 medical schools are tailored to students who want to be trained in the US medical education system, and return to the States (or Canada) to enter a residency program. The best of these in the Caribbean are known as the #BIGFOUR. These schools offer the four year MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree and you must complete four years of undergraduate studies before applying.

1. St Georges University School of Medicine

This school is located in Grenada, and is the oldest off-shore Medical University. It has a residency match rate of 94%, and boasts a beautiful campus and a very diverse school population. It also offers Veterinary medicine and other degrees. Wanna hear a secret? Before I ended up in Mexico, I almost went to SGU. Life takes us in funny places, doesn’t it?

2. Ross University School of Medicine

RUSM is currently located in Barbados and has a residency match rate of 95.2%. The average entrance MCAT score is 496, and its graduates have moved on to many prestigious residency spots in North America.

3. American University of the Caribbean

AUC is located on the island of St Maarten, and has been in existence since 1978, making it the second oldest offshore medical school in the Caribbean. It boasts a residency match rate of 92%, and the MCAT is a requirement for matriculation.

4. Saba University School of Medicine

The final of the #BIGFOUR is Saba University School of Medicine in Saba, a teeny, tiny island in the Dutch Caribbean. It has a 94% residency acceptance rate and a whopping 99% USMLE step 1 pass rate!

5. The University of the West Indies

This final university is a regional Caribbean school (not an offshore medical school) and is top tier among Caribbean residents. It tailors its curriculum to West Indian students, but the school hosts students from all over the world. As the majority of the islands in the Caribbean still pertain to the British Commonwealth, the curriculum is quite similar to what you would find in the UK.

This school licenses its students to practice in all the countries of the Caribbean, independent of their nationality. There are 5 years of study, and graduates holding an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) must complete a year’s internship before embarking on their Senior House Officer years and Residency.

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This list is in no way exhaustive. There are so many other great schools to consider. You have the facts, and now you are free to make your own decisions and do further research. Do you go to any of these schools? Why did you choose it? If not, where do you study?

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